Getting acquainted with the possible 2016 field

The new Associated Press-GfK poll offers a look at how nine potential 2016 presidential candidates appeal to the public.

AWARENESS ON THE RISE

Though the 2016 presidential campaign remains distant, Americans are getting to know those most likely to run. Hillary Clinton is best known; 9 in 10 offer an opinion about her. On the GOP side, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is best known, with nearly three-quarters offering an opinion on him.

Awareness increased significantly for all nine potential candidates tested, with Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren making the biggest gains. Warren is one of two who are least known: 56 percent don't know enough to have an opinion about her and 61 percent say the same about Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

FOR REPUBLICANS, A MIXED BAG

Among Republicans, Jeb Bush is most popular, with 56 percent holding a favorable opinion of the former Florida governor. Majorities have positive impressions of Perry and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz generates more positive (46 percent favorable) than negative (14 percent unfavorable) impressions, while Walker remains broadly unknown even in his own party — 57 percent don't have an opinion either way.

Eight in 10 Democrats have a positive view of Clinton. She tops both Vice President Joe Biden, who had a 71 percent favorable rating and Warren, who had 33 percent favorability. Clinton's popularity crosses ideological lines, with 84 percent of liberals and 80 percent of other Democrats viewing her positively. Biden fares better among liberal Democrats: 80 percent favorable vs. 66 percent among other Democrats.

Most Democrats, 51 percent, say they don't know enough about Warren to have an opinion, but she is more popular among liberals (42 percent favorable) than moderate or conservative Democrats (28 percent).

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The AP-GfK Poll was conducted July 24-28, 2014, using KnowledgePanel, GfK's probability-based online panel designed to be representative of the U.S. population. It involved online interviews with 1,044 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points for all respondents. It is larger for subgroups.

Respondents were first selected randomly using phone or mail survey methods and were later interviewed online. People selected for KnowledgePanel who didn't otherwise have access to the Internet were provided with the ability to access the Internet at no cost to them.